تَلَقَّبَ مَلِكٌ قاهِراً مِن سَفاهَةٍ

وَلِلَّهِ مَولاهُ المَمالِكُ وَالقَهرُ

A fool took on the title of conqueror in ignorance

Yet to God belong all kingdoms and conquest

أَتَغضَبُ أَن تُدعى لَئيماً مُذَمَّماً

وَحَسبُكَ لُؤماً أَنَّ والِدَكَ الدَهرُ

Do you get angry when called vile and loathsome?

It is shame enough that your father is Time

تَزَوَّجَ دُنياهُ الغَبِيُّ بِجَهلِهِ

فَقَد نَشَزَت مِن بَعدِ ما قُبِضَ المَهرُ

The ignorant married the world in his foolishness

Yet she rebelled after the dowry was paid

تَطَهَّر بِبُعدٍ مِن أَذاها وَكَيدِها

فَتِلكَ بَغيٌّ لا يَصِحُّ لَها طُهرُ

Purify yourself by keeping your distance from her deceit

For that is an invalid divorce that cannot make her pure

وَأَنفَقتُ بِالأَنفاسِ عُمري مُجَزِّئاً

بِها اليَومَ ثُمَّ الشَهرَ يَتبَعُهُ الشَهرُ

I spent my life breath by breath

Marking days that follow into months

يَسيراً يَسيراً مِثلَ ما أَخَذَ المَدى

عَلى الناسِ ماشٍ في جَوانِحِهِ بُهرُ

Slowly, slowly like Time has marched against mankind

With eons hidden in its essence

كَذَرٍّ عَلى ظَهرِ الكَثيبِ فَلَم يَزَل

بِهِ السَيرُ حَتّى صارَ مِن خَلفِهِ الظَهرُ

Like grains of sand on a dune that kept walking

Until what was behind became the horizon